After supporting a derogatory tweet regarding Vijaya Gadde, the social network’s lawyer in charge of regulations and security, the multi-billionaire also split a meme (parody image) on Wednesday to mock the platform’s rules in terms of content moderation and who is responsible.
“Harassment is not management,” reacted Dick Costolo, who ran Twitter from 2010 to 2015.
Elon Musk decided to acquire Twitter in particular because he believes that the network does not sufficiently respect freedom of expression. But his absolutist vision worries defenders of everyone’s freedoms on the internet, who advocate exchanges without hatred or misinformation.
According to the Politico news site, Vijaya Gadde broke down in tears during an online meeting with her teams, gathered to discuss the change of ownership. “She expressed in detail her pride in the work of her colleagues and encouraged employees to continue their good work,” the article said.
Harassment
The initial tweet regarding him referred to Twitter’s decision to block an article from the New York Post, a conservative American daily, from being shared during the presidential campaign because it violated its guidelines. The case had angered elected Republicans and the platform had relaxed the sanction.
“Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was, of course, incredibly inappropriate,” Elon Musk said in a comment to this post.
“Creating memes targeting executives like Vijaya Gadde, who has a long career spent seeking the right balance between security and freedom of expression (…), is completely unacceptable”, indignant Alex Stamos, of the prestigious Stanford University, and former head of security at Facebook. “Heads of Elon’s other companies need to tell him he’s overstepping his bounds.”
UltraViolet, a women’s rights NGO, called on the Californian group’s board of directors to reverse the agreement with the richest man in the world. “Elon Musk’s harassment of Vijaya Gadde is clear and unmistakable proof that his governance will open the doors wide to harassment and abuse, specifically once morest women and people of color,” said Bridget Todd, Director communication, in a press release.
The takeover agreement signed by Elon Musk expressly authorizes him to tweet regarding the operation, but with this restriction: “provided that the tweets in question do not disparage the company or its representatives”.
The boss of Tesla (electric cars), SpaceX (space exploration) and Neuralink (brain implants), among others, has gained several million subscribers in recent days, bringing his total to more than 86 million.
“Antibody”
Before the takeover announcement, he said he hoped “even” his worst critics would stay on Twitter, because “that’s what free speech means.” On Tuesday, faced with the deluge of worried reactions, he added: “the secretion of antibodies from those who are afraid of freedom of expression says it all”.
Parag Agrawal, the current leader of Twitter, expressed his support for the employees of the San Francisco group on Wednesday. “I’m proud of the people who continue to do the job with focus and determination despite the noise all around,” he tweeted.
Several American newspapers have relayed the concerns expressed internally by many employees at the idea that the richest man in the world, accustomed to provocations, leader of companies where unionization is discouraged, will take control.
According to the Bloomberg agency, since Monday, Twitter has prevented employees from making changes to the platform’s computer code without the agreement of a vice-president, to avoid any sabotage.
Some fear in particular that Elon Musk will undo their work in terms of moderating content to protect users from abuse and violence. Because the boss of Tesla has several times in the past insulted people who did not agree with him , while his many fans do not hesitate to add more.
And his new responsibilities don’t seem to stop him. On Tuesday, he also tweeted “that doesn’t say anything good” in comment to a message accusing a Twitter lawyer, Jim Baker, of having facilitated a fraud.
